Analysis of Be Still, My Soul, Be Still
Alfred Edward Housman 1859 – 1936
Be still, my soul, be still; the arms you bear are brittle,
Earth and high heaven are fixt of old and founded strong.
Think rather,-- call to thought, if now you grieve a little,
The days when we had rest, O soul, for they were long.
Men loved unkindness then, but lightless in the quarry
I slept and saw not; tears fell down, I did not mourn;
Sweat ran and blood sprang out and I was never sorry:
Then it was well with me, in days ere I was born.
Now, and I muse for why and never find the reason,
I pace the earth, and drink the air, and feel the sun.
Be still, be still, my soul; it is but for a season:
Let us endure an hour and see injustice done.
Ay, look: high heaven and earth ail from the prime foundation;
All thoughts to rive the heart are here, and all are vain:
Horror and scorn and hate and fear and indignation--
Oh why did I awake? when shall I sleep again?
Scheme | ABAB CDCD EEEE EXEX |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (75%) |
Metre | 1111110111110 1011011110101 1101111111010 011111111101 1111110010 110111111111 1101110111010 111111011111 1011110101010 110101010101 1111111111010 1101110010101 11110011101010 111101110111 100101010010 111101111101 |
Closest metre | Iambic hexameter |
Characters | 881 |
Words | 179 |
Sentences | 8 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 16 |
Letters per line (avg) | 41 |
Words per line (avg) | 11 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 165 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 44 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 25, 2023
- 53 sec read
- 140 Views
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